Thermostatic valve structures



July 22, 1958 w. MOGRATH 2,344,319

7 THERMOSTATIC VALVE STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 10. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 W A M' July 22, 1958 'I w. L. MGGRAITHF 2,844,319

' THERMOSTATIC VALVE STRUCTURES Filed Dea 10,.1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A v j 54 5s 4 INVENTOR. W A 21 M July 22, 1958 w. McGRA IfH 2,844,319 THERMOSTATIC VALVE STRUCTURES Y Filed Dec. 10, 1954 1 3 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.?

FIG. 5

INVENTOR. BY 1 564, 1, Hr M United States Patent TI-[ERMOSTA'IIC VALVE STRUCTURES William L. lVIcGrath, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 10, 1954, Serial No. 474,315 14 Claims. 01. 236--1) This invention relates to valve structures and more particularly to a valve structure designed for use in air conditioning systems to regulate supply of a conditioning medium to room units under summer and winter operating conditions. The invention is also concerned with an air conditioning system including the valve structure.

In Carrier Patent 2,363,294 granted November 21, 1944, there is disclosed an air conditioning system in which a volume of air is conditioned to a desired degree at a central conditioning point and is then distributed at relatively high static pressure and at relatively high velocity to a plurality of units disposed in and serving a plurality of enclosures to 'be conditioned. The high pressure conditioned air supplied to each unit is discharged therein through nozzle formations or the like and in this manner induces a relatively great circulation of air withdrawn from the area served by the unit. The primary or conditioned air and secondary or induced air are then supplied to the area to be conditioned. The primary air may be conditioned at a central conditioning ,point.

Heated or cooled water or other fluid, is delivered to the various units from a central station to etfect heating or cooling of air circulating through the units as required. In this system, it is necessary to provide some form of control to produce and to maintain desired atmospheric conditions within the areas being conditioned.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved valve structure to regulate passage of conditioning medium through the units.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved valve structure for use in an air conditioning unit capable of satisfactory performance under different seasonal operating conditions.

A further object is to provide a valve including means changing the operation of the valve under different sea sonal operating conditions in response to a reversal in the direction of flow of conditioning medium passing to the valve. "Other objects of the invention will be-readily perceived from the following description.

This invention relates to a valve structure which com prises, in combination, a housing having a passage therethrough, said passage having two ports therein, valve members cooperating with the ports to close one of the ports responsive to the direction of flow of medium entering the passage and temperature responsive mechanism for actuating the valve members to regulate the flow of medium through the housing.

This invention further relates to an air conditioning system which comprises, in combination, an air condition-' to flow of medium therethrough and temperature responsive mechanism for actuating said members to regulate flow of medium through the housing.

The attached drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of an air conditioning system employing the valve structure of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view illustrating the valve structure of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the valve shown in Figure 2 employed under summer operating conditions;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the valve shown in usually employed for providing water at desired elevated and reduced temperatures are not illustrated since they form no part of the invention.

Under winter operating conditions, hot water valves 5 and 6 will be opened and cold water valves 7 and 8 closed, the reverse occurring under summer operating con ditions. Pump 9 supplies the hot or cold water as the case may be to air conditioning units 10 and 11 serving respectively rooms or similar enclosed areas 12 and 13. It will be understood the system is not limited to any number of units. It is normally employed in office buildings, hotels, hospitals and similar buildings having a great number of rooms of different size.

Units 10 and 11 are shown diagrammatically. It will be understood that in practice these units are housed in casings or furred in and may contain more comprehensive assemblies than those illustrated. Since the invention relates particularly to the supply of hot or cold liquid, such as water, to the heat exchange elements of such units, only the essential parts have been included in illustrating the units. The units 1t 11 include coils 14, plenum chambers 15 connected to a central air conditioning station (not shown) and means for causing circulation of air through coils 14, as illustrated, nozzles 16 for discharging air at a velocity suiiicient to induce room air into the unit through louvres 17, the induced air passing through the coils 14 within the units and mixing with the air discharged within the unit, the mixture of air being discharged through louvres 1%.

It will be understood that under winter operating conditions, heated medium flows in a predetermined direction through valve 2 to the coil 14 of the unit while, under summer operating conditions, the cooling medium, flows in the opposite direction through coil 14 and then through valve 2, returning to the source of supply. To provide the desired reversal in direction of flow of conditioning medium through valve 2, crossover lines 19 and 20 are provided. Valve 21 is placed in line 20, valve 22 is placed in line 23, valve 24 is placed in line 26 and Patented July 22, 1958 Thus, under winter operating conditions,

2, then through coil 14 of the unit and to return to the heating source 3. Under summer operating conditions, valves 22 and 24 are closed and valves 21 and 25 are opened, permitting cold. water to flow through coil 14 then through valve 2 and to return to the. source of cooling water 4.

. Valve 2 is illustrated in Figure 2. Valve 2' includes a housing 30, which may be formed in any desired way to enclose the operating mechanism of the valve. Preferably, housing includes a body 31 having two partitions 31a, 31b therein forming a central chamber 32. Ports 33 and 34 are formed in the partitions 3 1a, 31b for a purpose hereinafter described. End fittings 35, 36 are attached to the opposite ends of body 31 and are adapted to be connected to a source of supply of conditioning medium as hereinafter explained. Attached to body 31- and extending at substantially a right angle to body 31, is a tube or extension 37 which contains the operating mechanism of the valve. A portion of the operating mechanism extends within central chamber 32 of body 31 as shown in Figure 2. Temperature responsive mechanism 38 is connected to the operating mechanism of the valve at the opposite end of tube 37.

Each of the end fittings 9, 10 has an opening 9', 10' therein adapted to serve both as an inlet and as an outlet, depending upon the direction of flow of conditioning medium through the valve.

Ports 33, 34 are closed respectively by valve members 39, 40 which may be in the form of balls. Preferably, the valve members 39, 40 are hollow metal or rubber balls or are fabricated of a plastic such that the density of the balls is similar to the density of the medium passing through the valve. Wing guide members 41, 42 are provided in body 31 to guide balls 41, 42 in their movement toward and from ports 33, 34.

AsshOWn in Figure 2, prongs 43, 44 may be provided extending inwardly from fittings 35, 36 respectively.

Prongs 43, 44 serve to prevent balls 39, 40 closing the inlets or the outlets in the fittings due to flow of the medium entering the valve.

The actuating mechanism for valve members 39, 40'

includes a lever 45 extending within tube 37 and central chamber 32. Lever 45 is of box-like contour having a top 46 and sides 47, 48 with an open base. At the end of lever 45 extending in central chamber 32, are placed buttons 51 and 52 adapted to contact valve members 39, 40. Preferably, at least one button, as shown button 52, is adjustable to assure that the buttons are adaptedto contact properly the valve members. It is desirable that in normal position, as shown in Figure 2, each of the buttons is adjacent, or substantially in contact with the valve members 39, 40. A fulcrum member 53 extends across tube 37 and is secured in the tube. Member 53 extendsthrough an opening 54 in sides 47, 48 of lever 45 and forms a pivot for lever 45.

A spring 55 is placed in tube 37 between fulcrum 53 and central chamber 32 of body 31, the spring being under compression so that it contacts a pivot point 56 on lever 45 to urge the lever in one direction. A second pivot point 57 is attached to lever 45 on the opposite side of fulcrum 53, so that pressure may be applied to the lever by mechanism 38 in a direction opposing the direction of pressure applied against the lever by spring 55.

' While mechanism 38 may comprise a manually operated knob or lever, in the preferred form this mechanism is temperature responsive. This temperature responsive mechanism 38, shown in Figure 2, is responsive to the temperature of air induced through coil 14 of room units 10 or 11 and may comprise a bellows and bulb filled with a temperature responsive fluid, or a socalled Vernath'erm element as disclosed, for example, in Patents Nos. 2,128,274; 2,208,149; 2,265,586 and 2,636,776. However, a simplified mechanism may be used as shown in Figure 2. This mechanism 38 includes an expansive tube 60 and a rod 61 placed within the tube having a low coefficient of expansion. One end of rod 61 engages pivot point 57 of lever 45. The other end of rod 61 extends through a threaded bushing 62 which is connected to the end of tube 60 and has threadedly connected thereto a cap 63 in which is placed an overrun spring 64 engaging the end of rod 61' which extends through bushing 62. An O-ring 65 is placed between the end of tube 60 and bushing 62 to seal the same to prevent water leaking from the valve between rod 61 and tube 60. Spring 64 is normally stationary and restrained by stop 66 but may compress when the mechanism is exposed to extremely low temperatures. Cap 63 may be adjusted to apply desired pressure to the springs 64. A calibrating shield or ring 67 carrying a pin 68 thereon adapted to contact a pin 69 on a stop member 69' is provided to restrain movement of the shield more than 360. Ring 67 may be secured to the cap by a set screw or other desired means. The cap, shield and spring form adjusting means to adjust the temperature control point of the mechanism.

As stated above, rod 61 engages pivot point 57 of lever 45. Thus, as temperature increases in an area being treated, tube 60 expands permitting movement of rod 61 outwardly, tothe right as shown in Figure 2, while as temperature decreases, tube 60 contracts forcing rod' 61 inwardly, to the left as shown in Figure 2, thus moving lever 45 on pivot pin 53 to move buttons 51, 52 in contact with valve members 39, 40 respectively.

Considering operation of the air conditioning system under winter operating conditions, referring to Figures 1 and 5, valves 5, 6, 22 and 24 are opened and valves 7, 8, 21 and 25 are closed, permitting hot water to be supplied from source of supply 3 by pump 9 through valve 22 to valves 2, the water entering the valves 2 at fittings 35.

It will be appreciated that pressure of water entering end fitting 35 will tend to move ball 39 toward a position closing port 33. However, under winter operating conditions, assuming the space requires heating, then temperature responsive mechanism 38 being colder than the set control point, has pivoted lever 45' on fulcrum 53 movingthe lever 45 to a position urging ball 39 away from port 33, permitting water to pass through port 33 into central chamber 32 and forcing ball 40 away from port 34. Referring to Figure 5, it will be observed that prongs 44 prevent ball 40 from closing the opening 10 serving as an outlet from the valve under winter operating conditions and therefore the warm water flows through the valve to coil 14. As temperature within the area being conditioned increases, temperature responsive mechanism 38' moves rod 61 to the right permitting spring 55 to move the lever 45 in the opposite direction on its pivot fulcrum 53, thereby permitting the pressure of water to move ball 39 toward a closed position, decreasing the volume of hot water passing through the valve.

The hot water passes through the valve 2, coil 14 and is returned to the hot water supply 3, being reheated and again supplied to the areas being treated.

Under summer operating conditions, direction of flow of. water through the valve is reversed. Referring to Figures'l and 4, valves 5, 6, 22 and 24 are closed and valves 7, 8, 21 and 25 are opened, permitting cold water to be drawn from the source of supply 4 by pump 9 and hence to the coil 14, the cold water passing through the coil in heat exchange relation with air drawn there through and then passing through valve 2 to the return line for return to the source of supply 4.

Referring to Figure 4, the cold water enters valve 2 through fitting 36. Since the areas being conditioned are calling for cooling under summer operating conditions, lever 45 has pivoted on fulcrum 53 to move ball 40 away from port 34, permitting cold water to flow into chamber 32 and forcing ball 39 away from port33. Prongs 43;.

prevent'ball 39 from closing the outlet in fitting 35. As temperature of the area being conditioned decreases, rod 61 pivots lever 45 on pivot fulcrum 53 to move the opposite end of the lever in chamber 32 from ball 40, pressure of water tending to force ball 40 toward a position closing port 34. Thus, the volume of water passing through'valve 2, is regulated by the temperature responsive means 38 responsive to the temperature of airfiowing into coil 14. In this case, the cold water first passes through the coil and then through valve 2, the volume of water passing through the coil being regulated byvalve 2.

In Figure 6, there is shown a modification of the invention, which may simplify the manufacture of the valve. In the modified valve, there are provided grommet-like ringmembers 70, 71 which may be snapped into and fit about ports 72 and 73. It will be appreciated that in the structure shown it is not necessary that the ports be tapered, thus permitting the members carrying the ports to be made of rough castings, if desired. Wire guide members 74, 75 are molded in grommets 70. Ball members 76, 77 are inserted in guides 74, 75. The ends of guides 74, 75 are formed in such a way as to prevent balls 76, 77 escaping from the guides 74, 75 in use. In other respects, the operation of the valve is the same as described in connection with the valve shown in the preceding figures'.

In Figure 7, I have shown another modification of the valve structure shown in Figure 2. The valve shown in Figure 7 is essentially the same as the valve shown in Figure 2, except that the flow directions are reversed and flat disk members 80, 81 are employed to close ports 82, 83 the ports being opened by pulling the disks from their closed positions by lever 45. Disks 80, 81 are connected to lever 45 by lost motion connections 84, 85. Guides 86 and 87 bear on the walls of openings 88 and 89 keeping the valve disks 80, 81 in proper alignment.

The present invention provides a simple, inexpensive valve capable of regulating flow of conditioning medium to a heat exchange unit of an air conditioning system under summer and winter operating conditions. Simple means are provided permitting the reversal of the direction of flow of conditioning medium through the valve when changeover from summer to winter operating conditions or vice versa occurs. An air conditioning system including the valve of the present invention is considerably cheaper in initial cost and installation cost than systems heretofore employed The invention provides a ready and simple means for controlling the operation of air conditioning systems under summer and winter operating conditions. The valve structure provides a ready and efiicient changeover from summer to winter operating conditions in an air conditioning system while providing automatic control of the temperature of each area being conditioned.

It will be understood, if desired, a suitable manual control may be provided to move the lever of the valve instead of the automatic control illustrated and described above. In such case, of course, the room occupant regulates the valve to provide the desired heating or cooling effect instead of the valve being responsive to room temperature.

If cooling is not desired, it is possible to modify the valve to permit its use for heating purposes. In such case, of course, one of the ports and valve members may' be omitted, the lever of the valve being actuated automatically as described or manually if desired to regulate flow of heating medium through the valve. In other words, essentially the same principle of operation is provided but the valve may be constructed more economically since it need not regulate cooling efiect.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

1. In a valve structure, the combination of a housing;

to close one of the ports responsive to the direction 0; t flow of medium entering the passage, a lever in said house. v ing adapted to engage the valve member closing a -po rtr and temperature responsive means to move the end of said lever in an arcuate direction to urge the port closing valve member toward a second position to regulate flow of medium through the passage whereby, under one set of operating conditions, said means, in response to an increase in temperature in an area being treated, urges said lever to actuate the valve member closing a port to increase How of medium through the passage while, under a second set of operating conditions, said means, in re sponse to an increase in temperature in an area being treated, urges the lever to actuate the second valve member to decrease flow of medium through the passage.

2. In a valve structure, the combination of a housing having two ports therein defining a passage therethrough,'

valve members cooperating with the ports to close one of the ports responsive to the direction of flow of medium entering the passage, a lever in said housing adapted to engage the valve member closing a port, a pivot member for said lever and mechanism to pivot said lever on the pivot member to urge the port closing valve member toward an open position to regulate flow of medium through the passage whereby, under one set of operating conditions, said mechanism, in response to an increase in temperaturein an area being treated, urges said lever to actuate the valve member closing a port to increase flow of medium through the passage while, under a second set of operating conditions, said mechanism, in response to an increase in temperature in an area being treated, urges the lever to actuate the second valve member to decrease flow of medium through the passage.

3. In a valve structure, the combination of ahousing having an inlet therein and an outlet therein, said housing having a passage therethrough connecting the inlet and the outlet, said passage having two ports therein, valve members cooperating with the ports to close one of the ports responsive to the direction of flow of medium entering the passage, a lever in said housing adapted to engage the valve member closing a port, means to move an end of said lever in an arcuate direction to urge the port closing valve member toward an open position to regulate flow of medium through the passage whereby, under one set of operating conditions, said means, in response to an increase in temperature in an area being treated, urges said lever to actuate the valve member closing a port to increase flow of medium through the passage while, under a second set of operating conditions, said means, in response to an increase in temperature in an area being treated, urges the lever to actuate the second valve member to decrease flow of medium through the passage, guide members in said passage guiding movement of said valve members toward and from the ports and stop members in said passage to prevent movement beyond a predetermined point of the valve members toward the inlet and outlet.

4. In a valve structure, the combination of a housing having a passage therethrough, said passage having two ports therein, valve members cooperating with the ports to close one of the ports responsive to the direction of flow. of medium entering the passage, a lever to actuate the valve members, and temperature responsive mechanism adapted to apply forces against said members through said lever in opposition to the forces applied thereagainst by medium entering the passage to regulate flow of medium through the passage whereby, under one set of operating conditions, said mechanism, in response to an increase in temperature in an area being treated, urges said lever to actuate the valve member closing a portto increase flow of medium through the passage ai'ifarea being treated, urges the lever to actuate thesec-- tifvalve member to decrease flow of medium through p'assage, said temperature" responsive mechanism includi'rig an expansive tube, a rod-placed within the tube havinga low coefiicient of expansion and adjusting means to adjust the temperature control point of the mechanism.

5. In a valve structure, the combination of a housing having-two ports therein defining a passage therethrough,

valve members cooperating with the ports to close one oftlie ports responsive to the direction of flow of medium entering the passage, a lever in said housing adapted to engage the valve member closing a port, a pivot member for said lever and temperature responsive means to pivot said lever on the pivot member to urge the port closing valve member toward an open position to regulate the flow of medium through the passage, said lever having a second pivot point thereon, said temperature responsive means including an expansive tube, a rod placed within the tube having a low coefficient of expansion, the end of the rod being incontact with the second pivot point of the lever and adjusting means to adjust the temperature control point of the mechanism.

6. In a valve structure, the combination of a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a passage in said housing connecting the inlet and the outlet, said passage having two ports therein, valve members cooperating with the ports to close .one of the ports responsive to the direction of flow of medium entering the passage, valve guides adjacent said ports to guide the valve members toward and from the ports, stop members adjacent the inlet and the outlet to prevent movement of said valve members to close the inlet and the outlet, a lever in said housing adapted to engage the valve member closing a port and temperature responsive means to move an end of the lever in an arcuate direction to urge the port closing valve member toward an open position to regulate the flow of medium through the passage, said temperature responsive means including an expansive tube, a rod placed within the tube having a low coefficient of ex pansion, and adjusting means to adjust the temperature control point of the mechanism.

7. In a valve structure, the combination of a valve body having two spaced ports therein and a chamber between the ports, end members for said body adapted to connect the body to a source of supply, valve members in said body adapted to close the ports, guides for said valve members placed in said body between the ports and the end members, said end members carrying stop members to prevent movement of the valve member tending to close the end members to the passage of medium therethrough, a tube attached to said body member having a lever therein extending within the chamber between the ports and adapted to engage the valve members, and thermal responsive mechanism adapted to move said lever, the valve members cooperating with the ports to close one of the ports responsive to the direction of flow of medium entering the passage and the temperature responsive mechanism actuating said lever to urge the port closing valve member toward an open position to regulate flow of medium through the port in response to a change in temperature.

8. In an air conditioning system, the combination of an air conditioning unit containing a heat exchange member, means to circulate a medium through the heat exchange member in heat exchange relation with air passing through the heat exchange member, a valve to regulate passage of medium through the heat exchange member, and means to reverse direction of flow of medium through the valve, said valve including a housing having a passage therethrough, movable means in the housing to close the passage to flow of medium therethrough responsive to the direction of flow of medium entering the passage, and mechanism adapted to engage said movable means to regulate flow of medium through the housing without -regard to the direction of flow of medium through the passage.

9. Inan air conditioning system, the combination of an air conditioning unit containing a heat exchange member means to circulate a medium through the heat exchange member in heat exchange relation with air passing through the heat exchange member, a valve to regulate passage of medium through the heat exchange member, and means to reverse the direction of fiow'of medium through the valve, said valve including a housing having two ports therein defining a passage therethrough, valve members cooperating with the ports to close one of the ports responsive to the direction of flow of medium entering the passage, a lever in-said housing adapted to engage the valve member closing a port, a pivot member for said lever and temperature responsive means to pivot said lever on the pivot member to urge the port closing valve member toward an open position to regulate flow of medium through the passage.

10. In a method of air conditioning a multi-room building in which each room to be conditioned contains an'air conditioning unit having a heat exchange member therein through which a medium is passed in heat exchange relation with air passing through the heat exchange member, the steps which consist in supplying medium to the heat exchange member in a predetermined direction of flow through a valve having two ports therein and valve members cooperating with the ports, said valve members being movable to close a passage through the valve in response to the direction of flow of medium through the valve; under summer operating conditions, upon an increase in temperature in the area being conditioned, moving the port closing member toward an open position to regulate the volume of medium passing through the unit; and, under winter operating condi-.

tions, reversing the direction of flow of the medium through the valve to move the second valve member to close the second port and to move the first valve member to open the first port so that upon a decrease in temperature in the room being conditioned, the second valve member is moved toward an open position to regulate the volume of medium passing through the unit.

11. In a valve structure for regulating the passage of conditioning medium through an air conditioning unit, the combination of a housing having a passage therethrough, medium being supplied to one or the other end of the passage, said passage having 'two ports therein, valve members cooperating with the ports to close only one of the ports, the port closed being'determined by the direction of flow of medium entering the passage through an end thereof, and temperature responsive mechanism for applying forces to move the valve memberclosing the port in opposition to the forces applied against the valve member by medium entering the passage to regulate flow of medium through the housing.

12. In a valve structure forregulating the passage of conditioning medium through an air conditioning unit, the combination of a housing having a passage therethrough, medium being supplied to one or the other end of the passage, said passage-having two'ports therein, valve members cooperating with the ports to close only one of the ports, the port closed being determined by the direction of flow of medium entering the passage through an end thereof, and temperature responsive mechanism adapted to apply forces against the valve members in opposition to the forces applied thereagainst by the medium entering the passage to regulate flow of medium through the passage whereby, under one set of operating conditions, said mechanism, in response to an increase in temperature in an area being treated, actuates the first valve member -to increase flow of medium through the passage While, under a second set of operating conditions, said mechanism, in response to an increase in temperature in an area being treated, actuates the second valve member to decrease flow of medium through the passage.

13. In a valve structure for regulating the passage of conditioning medium to an air conditioning unit, the combination of a housing having two ports therein de- -fining the passage therethrough, disc members cooperating with the ports to close only one of the ports responsive to the direction of flow of medium entering the passage, a lever in said housing, lost motion connec7 tions attaching the lever to the disc members, a pivot member for said lever, and temperature responsive means to pivot said lever on the pivot member to urge the port closing valve member toward an open position to regulate flow of medium through the passage whereby, under one set of operating conditions, said means, in response to an increase in temperature in an area being treated, actuates said lever to urge the first valve member to increase flow of medium through the passage while, under a second set of operating conditions, said means, in response to an increase in temperature in an area being treated, actuates the lever to urge the second valve member to a position to decrease flow of medium through the passage.

14. In a valve structure for regulating the passage of conditioning medium through an air, conditioning unit,

the combination of a housing having ports therein defining a passage through the valve, ball members c0- operating with the ports to close one of the ports responsive to the direction of flow of medium entering the passage, grommet-like members fitted in said ports, guide means connected to the grommet-like members forming cages for the ball members to restrict movement of the ball members a desired distance, a lever in the housing adapted to engage the ball member closing a port, and temperature responsive mechanism for applying forces to move the port closing ball member in opposition to the forces applied against said member by medium entering the passage to regulate flow of medium through the passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

